Psychology News for the week of December 25, 2006
John Grohol PsyD
Psychology News for the Week
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Male Gender Bias in Psychology Research Continues
Despite decades of striving toward equality, gender biases appear
prevalent amongst researchers in psychology. In a recently published
study, the investigators found that psychology researchers [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/29/male-gender-bias-in-psychology-research-continues/
Do Pet Owners Enjoy Better Health?
Researchers have discovered a lifestyle-health association that is sure
to be controversial. As part of a large study on health and social
support, Finnish scientists [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/29/do-pet-owners-enjoy-better-health-2/
Couple of Drinks Could Aid Memory
New research suggests consumption of around two drinks a day may help to
improve memory. However, the concept of drinking to forget bad memories
may [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/29/couple-of-drinks-could-aid-memory/
Mind-Set for Pain Relief
An intriguing British experiment demonstrates the value of positive,
reassuring and confident health providers and how our brain influences
the sucess of a paticular medical [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/28/mind-set-for-pain-relief/
Industrial Chemicals Can Damage Children
A new study finds fetal and early childhood exposures to industrial
chemicals in the environment can damage the developing brain and can
lead to neurodevelopmental [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/28/industrial-chemicals-can-damage-children/
Psychotherapy Reduces Chronic Pain
Over 80 percent of the public develops back pain at one time or another.
For some unlucky individuals, the pain may become a chronic condition, [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/27/psychotherapy-reduces-chronic-pain/
When to Take the Keys from Grandpa
The baby boomer transition to senior status and the overall aging of the
populace means more drivers who may be impaired by dementia or other [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/27/when-to-take-the-keys-from-grandpa/
Video Games Satisfy Basic Needs
As researchers study the video-game phenomena, an activity often blamed
for a variety of societal woes, scientists posit the reason the games
are so compelling [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/27/video-games-satisfy-basic-needs/
Longevity Gene Buffers Memory, Thinking
A genetic variation that increases the size of cholesterol particles in
the blood is known to help people live into their 90s. New research
suggests [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/26/longevity-gene-buffers-memory-thinking/
Avoid Holiday Food Traps
For many, the holidays represent a time when despite best intentions and
efforts all semblance of dietary management fall by the wayside. Home,
office and [...]
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12/26/avoid-holiday-food-traps/
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World of Psychology Blog
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The Quality of Online Support Communities: People not Posts
I recently put the finishing touches on an article that examines some of
the characteristics of a strong, quality online health community versus
those that are weaker in group cohesiveness and sense of community
togetherness. The upshot is that when it comes to online support, you
should look for communities that: [...]
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/29/the-quality-of-online-support-communities-people-not-posts/
Burnout in America
New York Magazine made an epic attempt at analyzing "burnout" -- feeling
overwhelmed by the daily in's and out's of work or life -- in
contemporary American society earlier this month, in "Where Work Is a
Religion, Work Burnout Is Its Crisis of Faith." Despite its length,
however, the author never really provides much insight [...]
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/27/burnout-in-america/
Question and Answer Sites Reviewed
So what's the deal with question and answer sites where people spend
endless hours answering questions from other people who are too lazy to
use a search engine? Apparently, there's something there, but is it
because of the sites -- relative novelty (much like Friendster enjoyed a
wave of popularity years ago), or something else? Well, there's
information [...]
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/27/question-and-answer-sites-reviewed/
Changing a Family to Help a Child
Very rarely do I read a story in the press on treatment for
psychological disorders and finish feeling satisfied and excited. Last
week, the New York Times had one such story on how psychotherapy and
family interventions can be effective in treating disorders for
children. It covers parenting style and family dynamics, as well as [...]
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/27/changing-a-family-to-help-a-child/
Have Social Networking Users Ruined Their Privacy?
Steve Kerrison, over at HEXUS.net, and Professor Nigel Smart of the
Computer Science Department at the University of Bristol (UK) think so.
As these sites continue to grow in popularity, so too does the value of
the information on them to parties other than those directly involved.
Parents can see what their children really get [...]
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/12/26/have-social-networking-users-ruined-their-privacy/
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